Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers

Rarely has Tarik Skubal had a better night with his changeup than Friday. Royals hitters whiffed 10 times on 14 swings against the reigning American League Cy Young Award-winner’s nastiest pitch, including five of his season-high 12 strikeouts in the Tigers’ 2-1 win. It was so good that manager A.J. Hinch threw one. As Skubal headed back to the dugout after the seventh inning, having stranded runners on second and third, Hinch was waiting at the dugout steps, seemingly ready to give his traditional end-of-outing handshake. Instead, Hinch gave Skubal a fist bump, a sign that he’d be going out for the next inning. Hinch has kept a close eye on his ace Skubal’s workload all summer since his return from surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow. But with Skubal at 89 pitches and a left-handed hitter, Carter Jensen, set to lead off the eighth, it made sense. “I wanted him to go out for that one hitter to get to that pocket of righties,” Hinch said. * Tigers' recent surge prompts tough questions as Trade Deadline looms